Microsoft PowerPoint Adds Real-Time Speech-to-Text Translation

On Wednesday, at Day 1 of the Build 2017 developers conference, Microsoft introduced a new interesting tool that will help removing language barriers in work environments. It basically translates speech-to-text on a PowerPoint presentation, in your preferred language. The tool is named as Presentation Translator.

Presentation Translator is basically an Office add-in for PowerPoint that allows presenters to display translated subtitles in real time. You just need to download the Translator application and sync it with your PowerPoint presentation. The link provided will then translate the text on top of the PowerPoint slide automatically.

PowerPoint supports more than 60 text languages, and the add-in allows you to display subtitles real-time directly on your PowerPoint presentation, as you speak. This allows up to 100 people in the audience can follow along the presentation at a time in their own language, and on their own device (phone, tablet, or computer). This is done by sharing a QR (Quick Response Code) or five letter conversation code with the audience, and they can follow along with your presentation, on their own device, in their own selected language.

This add-in supports real-time subtitling of 10 supported speech languages – English, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. These languages can be subtitled onto PowerPoint into any of the 60+ text translation languages. The tool also translates the text showing up on PowerPoint without ruining its formatting.

Microsoft also comments that this tool gives the deaf and hard-of-hearing the opportunity to join the presentation without the need for a physical interpreter with closed captions. It supports both left-to-right and right-to-left languages. The Presentation Translator add-in is powered by the Microsoft Translator live feature, and is available through an invitation on the https://www.microsoft.com. This add-in is most compatible with Microsoft Office 365 and Windows 10.